Department for Transport

M20: Road Traffic Control

Andy McDonald: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he has taken to (a) ensure adequate facilities for drivers and (b) protect the health and safety of people driving on the M20 during Operation Brock.

Chris Heaton-Harris: The Department for Transport has been working with the Kent Resilience Forum on their plans for driver welfare. Provisions for private motorists may be triggered once traffic has been queuing for at least 4 hours and if required will be distributed to stationary traffic. Any decision to provide welfare for hauliers on the M20 will be taken on the day based on the latest intelligence. If activated there will be welfare services for hauliers at Manston Airfield. The health and safety of drivers is a priority for Highways England and the Department for Transport. For safety reasons a 50mph speed limit will be in operation in both directions on the M20 and to further support the emergency services and drivers, particularly vulnerable users, Highways England will deploy additional traffic officers and enhanced incident support services and vehicle recovery provision.

Transport: Alternative Fuels

Mr Damian Hinds: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what comparative assessment he has made of the rates of take-up of non-petrol/diesel road vehicles between the UK and other countries for (a) domestic, (b) goods and (c) passenger transport.

George Freeman: In 2018 the UK was the second largest market for ultra-low emission cars in the EU and the fourth largest market for battery electric cars in the EU. The UK is also global leader in the development and manufacture of electric vehicles; in 2018 a fifth of battery electric cars sold in Europe were made in the UK. So far in 2019, sales of battery electric vehicles have topped 25,000, up by over 120 per cent over the same period in 2018. Our Road to Zero Strategy sets out a clear pathway to zero emissions, to give clarity and certainty to both industry and motorists. At the end of 2018 the UK’s electric bus fleet stood at 387 vehicles, third among the leading EU ultra low emission vehicle markets and the UK also had the third largest electric van fleet. The London Black Cab fleet is now over 10 per cent ultra low emission and is among the most rapidly decarbonising globally. The Strategy sets out support for cars, vans, HGVs, taxis and buses, including funding for both vehicles and the necessary supporting recharging and refueling infrastructure. Most recently, the first £70 million from the £400m Changepoint Infrastructure Investment Fund was invested in September 2019 and will support the installation over 3,000 rapid chargepoints across the UK – more than doubling the number of rapid chargepoints currently available.

Transport: Exhaust Emissions

Mr Damian Hinds: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent analysis he has undertaken on the rate of improvement in carbon-efficiency for UK-originating journeys in (a) aviation and (b) shipping.

George Freeman: The Government recognises the UK aviation industry’s success in taking steps to de-couple the growth in emissions from the continued demand for air services, but that there is still significant work to be done. Between 2010 and 2016, international air transport movements within the UK grew by 20%, but international greenhouse gas emissions increased by only 7%. The UK has played a leading role in the aviation sector’s action to address its impact on climate change and will continue to do so. At the international level, the UK was instrumental in reaching agreement in ICAO, on a global market-based measure for international aviation, known as Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA), and the introduction of the first global commercial aircraft CO2 standard. As for shipping, greenhouse gas emissions decreased between 1990 and 2017 by 3% for UK international shipping and 30% for domestic shipping. Carbon emissions from ships over 5,000 gross tonnes using UK ports are also being collected and analysed under the International Maritime Organization’s Data Collection System (IMO-DCS) and European Monitoring, Reporting and Verification (EU-MRV) regime. In 2019 the Department for Transport published a study identifying various scenarios for emissions reductions from UK shipping. This study was published alongside the Clean Maritime Plan, which sets a route map for zero emission shipping in the UK.The Government is committed to maintaining the UK’s position as a world maritime leader, and in 2018 the UK was a leading voice in the agreement of the Initial IMO Strategy on the Reduction of GHG from Ships.

Midland Main Railway Line: Standards

Neil O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what processes Network Rail has put in place to measure the (a) track and (b) ride quality on the Midland Main Line.

Chris Heaton-Harris: Track and ride quality on MML is monitored regularly through both visual and onboard inspections. Based on the information collected, local engineering teams record any areas of deterioration and take action to maintain the required track and ride quality. This process is supported by regular strategic reviews that are undertaken at route level.

Taxis: Disability

Thelma Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what his Department's timescale is for bringing forward legislation to ensure that disability equality training for taxi drivers becomes mandatory.

Ms Nusrat Ghani: The Government is taking robust action and will introduce National Minimum Standards including mandatory disability awareness training when Parliamentary time allows. In 2020 we plan to consult on revised best practice guidance for local licensing authorities, including strengthened recommendations on the provision of disability awareness training for drivers.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy: Islam

Naz Shah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many staff in her Department reported their religion as Islam in the latest period for which figures are available; what the reported ethnicity of those staff was; and how many of those staff were employed at each grade.

Nadhim Zahawi: BEIS is proud of our diversity and Inclusion policy and has a good record of employing staff from various religious background. The number of staff in BEIS who reported their religion as Islam is 90. This total is a mixture of all staff whose background is from Indian subcontinent (Bangladesh, India, Pakistan), African and European origin (English and other White background). The breakdown by grade is shown below: Grade Breakdown of staff who declared Islam as ReligionNumber of employeesAdministrative Officer (AO)3Executive Office (EO)26Higher Executive Officer (HEO)26Senior Executive Officer (SEO)11Grade 7 Officer (G7)17Grade 6 Officer (G6)2Senior Civil Servant – (SCS1)5Grand Total90

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Gaza: Hamas

Ian Paisley: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the effect of Hamas rule in Gaza on regional stability.

Dr Andrew Murrison: The UK remains very concerned about the situation in Gaza and any actions by Hamas which increase instability. We utterly condemn rocket fire by Hamas and other militants in Gaza; Palestinians and Israelis deserve to live in safety and peace. We encourage the Palestinian Authority, Israel, regional and international actors to put forward long-term sustainable proposals, to resolve the threat posed to Israel’s security by Hamas, and see the Palestinian Authority’s return to government functions in Gaza. This will help to improve the dire humanitarian and economic situation in the region.

Greece: Prisoners' Release

Nic Dakin: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment the Government has made of the implications for its policies of the Paraskevopoulos Law in Greece.

Christopher Pincher: ​We are concerned about the implications of the Paraskevopoulos Law, which allows early release of potentially dangerous convicted criminals in Greece. The European Parliament raised concerns in February this year about the Law's effect on security within the Schengen area.

EU Defence Policy

Stewart Malcolm McDonald: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to ensure that the UK continues to be able to participate in EU-led military operations abroad under the aegis of the Common Security and Defence Policy in the event of the UK leaving the EU without a deal.

Christopher Pincher: ​In the event of a No Deal exit from the EU, the United Kingdom would be obliged to withdraw personnel from all Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) operations and missions since the legal basis for our participation would no longer exist. For Operation ALTHEA, we have previously made the offer to discuss a third country agreement that would allow the United Kingdom to maintain its contribution after a no deal exit, but the EU have not engaged with us on this offer.

Colombia: Homicide

Christian Matheson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make representations to his Colombian counterpart to investigate the reported murders of (a) Alberto Armando Sánchez, (b) Fernando Salcedo and (c) Cristian Sánchez by paramilitaries in northern Colombia on 30 September 2019.

Christopher Pincher: We are saddened by the reported murders of Alberto Armando Sánchez, Fernando Salcedo and Cristian Sánchez. We share the concern of the Colombian Government that organised armed groups continue to operate in large parts of Colombia, and at the impact their activities continue to have on people's lives, and on the ability of the state, civil society and business to operate and develop.We remain steadfast in our support of the Colombian authorities as they seek to ensure sustainable peace in Colombia, and will continue to work closely with the Colombian government and civil society on the peace process and related matters.

Colombia: Politics and Government

Neil Coyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps the UK Government is taking to support the Colombian Government in assisting former guerrilla fighters transition to civilian life in that country.

Christopher Pincher: ​The United Kingdom welcomes the Colombian Government's longstanding commitment to assisting former guerrilla fighters transition to civilian life.We remain steadfast in our support of the Colombian authorities as they seek to ensure sustainable peace in Colombia, committing almost £45 million over 5 years through the UK Conflict Stability and Security Fund for Colombia to support development across conflict-affected regions. A proportion of these funds have directly supported the reintegration of ex-combatants into civilian and political life through programmes to train ex-combatants and host communities in income-generating activities; helping the FARC establish a humanitarian demining organisation; supporting ex-combatants and communities to work together to protect the environment; and building the Government's capacity to ensure the safety of former fighters. We will continue to work closely with the Colombian government and civil society on the peace process and related matters.

Sweden: Gangs

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with his Swedish counterpart on recent gang violence in that country; and if he will make a statement.

Christopher Pincher: ​The Foreign Secretary has had no recent discussions with his Swedish counterpart on recent gang violence in Sweden.

Department of Health and Social Care

Cannabis: Medical Treatments

Mr Roger Godsiff: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what progress has been made in ensuring that medical cannabis containing THC is available on the NHS for patients whom clinicians deem it clinically appropriate to prescribe it to.

Dr Rupa Huq: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what progress has been made on ensuring that medical cannabis containing THC is available on the NHS for patients for whom clinicians have deemed it clinically appropriate.

Jo Churchill: The law was changed on 1 November 2018 to allow clinicians on the General Medical Council’s ‘Specialist Register’ to prescribe cannabis-based products for medicinal use, where clinically appropriate and in the best interest of patients. The Government has been clear that decisions on whether to prescribe these products must remain a clinical one. Following a meeting in Parliament with the families of patients seeking access to medicinal cannabis, my Rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care asked NHS England and NHS Improvement to undertake a rapid process review into any barriers to prescribing on the National Health Service, where clinically appropriate. The review report is now published, and the Department is working closely with NHS England and NHS Improvement and other delivery partners to implement the report’s recommendations. This includes committing public funds through the National Institute for Health Research to establish clinical trials to develop the evidence base and exploring alternative studies to help children and young adults with treatment resistance epilepsy who are currently receiving cannabis-based medicines. We have also contacted all producers of cannabis-based products, known to have an interest in supplying the United Kingdom market, to encourage and support research applications to develop the evidence base further.

Electronic Cigarettes: Pneumonia

Mr Ranil Jayawardena: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of trends in the prevalence of lipoid pneumonia since the introduction of vaping.

Jo Churchill: It is not possible to assess the trends in the prevalence of lipoid pneumonia since the introduction of vaping. This is because there is insufficient data to identify this trend.

Gender Recognition

Mr Ranil Jayawardena: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make it his policy to collect data on the number of trans people who (a) detransition to their biological sex and (b) are unhappy with their new gender and may seek detransition in the future.

Jo Churchill: There are currently no plans to routinely collect data on the number of trans people who have detransitioned or who plan to detransition in the future.

General Practitioners: Wycombe

Mr Steve Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he will take to ensure waiting times for GP appointments are reduced in Wycombe.

Jo Churchill: The NHS Long Term Plan, published in January 2019, made a clear commitment to the future of general practice, with primary and community care set to receive at least £4.5 billion more a year by 2023/24, in real terms.Evening and weekend general practice appointments are routinely available across the country to enable patients to find appointments at a time convenient to them, with millions of patients having already benefitted from this.Buckinghamshire Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) advises that a key focus in the Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire West (BOB) integrated care system plan submission for delivering the objectives of the Long Term Plan is providing access to services closer to home for residents. Irrespective of where residents live in Buckinghamshire, every patient with an urgent care need will be able to access same-day primary care (in or out of hours). This will not necessarily be face-to-face and with a general practitioner (GP), but could be online with advice, telephone consultations and with other members of the primary care team. Work is already underway to deliver technological solutions, such as online consultations, in 2019/20. Improved access and seven-day working have been in place since October 2018 across BOB, offering routine appointments in the evening and at weekends.In August 2019, 82.61% of general practice appointments in the Buckinghamshire CCG region took place within two weeks of booking.

Cannabis: Medical Treatments

Alberto Costa: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what progress has been made for the provision of medical cannabis on the NHS.

Jo Churchill: The law was changed on 1 November 2018 to allow clinicians on the General Medical Council’s ‘Specialist Register’ to prescribe cannabis-based products for medicinal use, where clinically appropriate and in the best interest of patients. The Government has been clear that decisions on whether to prescribe these products must remain a clinical one. Following a meeting in Parliament with the families of patients seeking access to medicinal cannabis, my Rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care asked NHS England and NHS Improvement to undertake a rapid process review into any barriers to prescribing on the National Health Service, where clinically appropriate. The review report is now published and the Department is working closely with NHS England and NHS Improvement and other delivery partners to implement the report’s recommendations. This includes promoting more high-quality research through the publicly funded National Institute for Health Research to develop the evidence base and exploring alternative studies to help children and young adults with treatment resistance epilepsy who are currently receiving cannabis-based medicines. We have also contacted all producers of cannabis-based products, known to have an interest in supplying the United Kingdom market, to encourage and support research applications to develop the evidence base further.

Diabetes: Mental Health Services

Dr Rupa Huq: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department has taken to ensure local NHS Integrated Care Systems (ICS) and Sustainability and Transformation Partnerships (STP) include emotional and psychological support as a core part of diabetes care.

Jo Churchill: Integrated care systems and sustainability and transformation partnerships bring together local National Health Service organisations and councils across a given area so they can better understand and respond to local health and care needs. Their work includes improving local diabetes services and NHS England and NHS Improvement would expect local leaders to consider a full package of support to people who use these services, taking into account their mental as well as physical health needs.In recognition of the interdependencies between diabetes and mental health, a project working group has been established between NHS England and Diabetes UK to specifically consider the distinct mental health needs of patients with diabetes at all stages in their care pathway.

Department for Education

Children's Centres: Closures

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many Sure Start centres have closed in each year since 2010.

Michelle Donelan: Since 18 September 2017, data on Sure Start children’s centres has been supplied by local authorities via the department’s Get Information about Schools database portal at: https://www.get-information-schools.service.gov.uk/.Based on information supplied by local authorities as at end June 2019, the number of children’s centres open to families and children each year and the number of children’s centres closed each year since 2010 is set out in the attached table[1]: [1]Figures in the table are based on information supplied by local authorities as at end June 2019. Since local authorities can update historical data at any time, figures may be different to previous answers, and are likely to change again in future. (Closures reported since June 2019 have not been included in the table to enable consistency with a statistical publication with further analysis of children’s centre numbers, which is due to be published on 7 November – for completeness a total of 9 closures have not been included in the table.) The department holds some of its information on children’s centre numbers for previous years manually. The numbers of children’s centres open each year have been treated as estimates and rounded to the nearest 10.



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Children in Care

Helen Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many children looked after under a (a) voluntary agreement under section 20 of the Children Act 1989, (b) care order that was (i) full and (ii) interim and (c) placement order have been placed (A) in a fostering for adoption placement and (B) subject to concurrent planning in each of the last five years.

Michelle Donelan: The available information on the number of looked after children in fostering for adoption or concurrent planning arrangements with approved adopters since 2015 are shown in the attached table. Figures, broken down by these 2 categories, are not available.Information on the status of the fostering placement, whether with an approved adopter (fostering for adoption) or concurrent planning arrangement, was not collected in 2014.The number of looked after children by legal status and in foster placements are published in Tables A1 and A2, respectively, of the statistical release 'Children looked after in England including adoption: 2017 to 2018' at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/children-looked-after-in-england-including-adoption-2017-to-2018. 



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Sex and Relationship Education

Luke Pollard: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department is taking to support (a) schools and (b) local authorities in the event of protests against  relationships and sex education.

Nick Gibb: The Department is committed to ensuring that all schools are equipped to deliver the new subjects of relationships education at primary level, relationships and sex education at secondary level and health education for all schools. This includes ensuring schools and parents engage in effective dialogue. Protests outside schools can be disruptive to children’s education. We encourage parents to talk to their child’s school in a calm and constructive way if they have concerns.The Department has worked with the National Association of Headteachers and the National Governance Association to produce guidance for primary schools on effective engagement with parents on relationships education. This can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/engaging-parents-with-relationships-education-policy.To help local authorities support schools that are managing concerns from parents, including where this has reached the level of disruption to schools, we have worked with the Local Government Association and Birmingham City Council to produce advice. This can be found here:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/managing-issues-with-lgbt-teaching-advice-for-local-authorities.The Department has also supported Birmingham City Council in their injunction proceedings to prevent disruptive protests outside Anderton Park primary school.

Ministry of Justice

Camp Hill Prison

Mr Bob Seely: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of the upkeep of the Camp Hill prison site on the Isle of Wight since its closure.

Lucy Frazer: The estimated cost to the public purse of the upkeep of the former prison since its closure for the period 2013/14 to 2018/19 is £1.19m. The department will continue to work with the council and others on the future of the site.

Prisons: Overcrowding

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 21 October to Question 866 on Prisons: Overcrowding, what estimate he has made of the effect on the prison population of those sentencing reforms.

Lucy Frazer: On 14 October, the Government laid a draft statutory instrument (SI) that will mean offenders sentenced to a standard determinate sentence of at least 7 years for specified serious sexual and violent offences will serve two-thirds of their sentence in custody, rather than being released halfway. If approved by Parliament, this change will come into effect from April 2020. Alongside the SI we published a full impact assessment. The impact on the prison population will be felt gradually. We estimate that the prison population will increase by around 2,000 places over 10 years, i.e. by March 2030. This is the first step in a package of sentencing reforms which will be brought forward in a Sentencing Bill, announced in the Queen’s Speech. The Government has been clear that violent and sexual offenders must serve sentences that truly reflect the severity of the crime – helping to protect the public and giving victims confidence that justice has been served. The full impact assessment is available at: http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukdsi/2019/9780111190524/resources

Prisons: Overcrowding

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 21 October to Question 866 on Prisons: Overcrowding, to which (a) programmes and (b) prisons the £2.5 billion will be allocated.

Lucy Frazer: The Prime Minister has committed up to £2.5 billion to transform the prison estate by creating 10,000 additional prison places as part of this government’s commitment to crack down on crime.We plan to build the first of these prisons on land adjacent to the existing, well-performing, prison at Full Sutton. We have received outline planning permission to build a 1,440 place prison there, so this site can be quickly mobilised for the first of the new prisons.All future new prison developments are subject to receiving planning permission and will be announced in due course. We are exploring a range of options for new sites and we will announce potential sites in due course.

Probation: Recruitment

Richard Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps his Department is taking to recruit more probation officers.

Lucy Frazer: Following the changes we made to the recruitment process and eligibility criteria for probation officers there have been increases in both the volume and diversity of probation officer applicants. A national campaign to recruit probation officers was conducted earlier this year with new officers starting in July. As of 30 June 2019 there were 614 FTE Trainee Probation Officers in post. There were 3,357 FTE band 4 probation officers in post as at 30 June 2019. This figure represents a broadly steady trend. Regular figures on staffing in the NPS are released on Gov.uk;https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/national-offender-management-service-workforce-statistics

Full Sutton Prison

Richard Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether the new prison at Full Sutton will be operated by the public or private sector.

Lucy Frazer: We have not made any decisions on whether the new prisons as part of the Prime Minister’s announcement to build an additional 10,000 places will be operated by either the public or private sector. Decisions on the future management of these prisons will be announced in due course. This Government remains committed to a mixed market in operating custodial services in England and Wales. We believe that competition can deliver improvements to service quality, encourage innovation, secure capital investment, and achieve value for money.

Prisons: Repairs and Maintenance

Richard Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what estimate he has made of the backlog in prison maintenance (a) on 24 October 2019, (b) in October 2018, (c) in October 2015 and (d) in October 2010.

Lucy Frazer: Information for October 2015 and October 2010 could only be obtained at disproportionate cost. I refer the Hon Member to PQ 165647 for repairs outstanding in 2010As of October 2019 the current priority maintenance backlog totals approximately £900m. This is most up to date estimate we have of the costs associated with the maintenance backlog, inclusive of resource costs. This has increased from around £750m in 2018. The cost of the backlog increases each year owning largely to degradation of an aging estate.This government has invested an additional £156m in 2020/21 to improve the conditions of existing prisons across the estate and underpin our commitment to a system that is decent, safe and secure.

Prisons: Repairs and Maintenance

Richard Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what estimate he has made of the number and proportion of prison cells out of commission because of poor maintenance (a) on 24 October 2019, (b) in October 2018, (c) in October 2015 and (d) in October 2010.

Lucy Frazer: Routinely, the MoJ monitors capacity via prisoner places, rather than prison cells. This is to account for the variation in the type and size of cells across the estate. As of October 2019 approximately 760 cells, against a Certified Normal Accommodation figure of 78,989, were identified as out of use across the estate as a result of maintenance, including reactive maintenance, planned maintenance projects, security concerns or as a result of vandalism. Changes in the way data is collated in recent years means we cannot offer figures for 2010, 2015 and 2018. This government has invested an additional £156m in 2020/21 to improve the conditions of existing prisons across the estate and underpin our commitment to a system that is decent, safe and secure.

Prisoners: Universal Credit

Richard Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he is taking to ensure that prisoners can apply for universal credit before release.

Lucy Frazer: We have been working closely with the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to improve access to Universal Credit for prisoners and prison leavers. We are exploring a range of options to improve the claims process and DWP has piloted a number of changes that will support offenders making claims prior to release. One area that the pilots highlighted was the important role that dedicated DWP Prison Work Coaches play in our prison system to ensure access to Universal Credit. We continue to work with DWP to help support these work coaches, and to ensure they have both the right physical environment and access to the prisoners they need for efficient working. In July 2019, we committed to ongoing collaboration in this area through the publication of our National Partnership Agreement with DWP, which sets out clear roles and responsibilities for each department in getting prisoners into work and access to benefits.

Probation

Richard Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of contracting out service delivery under the new probation system.

Lucy Frazer: Our initial estimate is that we will spend up to £280 million per year on contracted services under the future model of probation. This figure is subject to change as we refine the details of our plans and work with HM Treasury to agree sustainable funding arrangements.

Department for Work and Pensions

Unemployment: Romford

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the effect of levels of literacy and numeracy on trends in unemployment in the Romford constituency in each of the last 10 years.

Mims Davies: No assessment has been made of the effects of literacy and numeracy on trends in unemployment in the Romford constituency. All claimants, including those in Romford, are screened by their Job Centre Plus Work Coaches for any barriers to employment that they face, including their literacy and numeracy skills. In particular, the review of skills considers whether claimants have the basic skills employers require - including Maths and English (spoken and written). Where needed, claimants can access or be referred to skills provision, with activities recorded in the Claimant Commitment. Under this Government since 2010 unemployment across the country has fallen by nearly 1.2 million, with unemployment falling in every region and country of the UK. In Jul 2009 - Jun 2010 the employment rate for Romford was estimated at 70.1%. In Jul 2018 – Jun 2019 the employment rate was estimated to be 72.6%.

Working Hours

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate she has made of the number of people that worked less than 15 hours a week in each (a) country and (b) region of the UK in each year since 2010.

Mims Davies: The independent Office for National Statistics (ONS) uses the Labour Force Survey (LFS) to provide estimates for the usual weekly hours of work for people. The table below sets out data ONS publishes on those working fewer than 6 hours, and between 6 and 15 hours. Breakdowns for Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, and regional breakdowns, are not provided because of small sample sizes. Estimates are based on the number of people who report the numbers of hours worked. Table: People working fewer than 6 hours, and 6 to 15 hours for April to June each year  fewer than 6 Hours6 up to 15 hours level (thousands)% of total people in employmentlevel (thousands)% of total people in employmentApr-Jun 20104171.52,0117.1Apr-Jun 20114731.71,9596.9Apr-Jun 20124691.62,0347.1Apr-Jun 20134451.52,0337.0Apr-Jun 20144631.62,0346.9Apr-Jun 20154871.61,8996.3Apr-Jun 20164741.52,0586.7Apr-Jun 20174241.42,0486.6Apr-Jun 20184261.42,0436.5Apr-Jun 20194711.52,0666.5Source: Table HOUR02NSA, ONS, Labour Force Survey At UK level people in full-time work have made up over three quarters of the overall increase in employment since 2010.

Universal Credit: Fraud

Mike Amesbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate she has made of the number of universal credit claimants who have been referred for fraud relating to advance claims made after 18 September 2019.

Guy Opperman: It is not possible to answer this question. This answer could only be provided by accessing a substantial number of referrals to ascertain how many relate to advances claimed after 18th September 2019. As a result, we estimate providing this information would incur disproportionate costs.

State Retirement Pensions: Females

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether (a) she, (b) Ministers in her Department and (c) officials in her Department have met with representatives from #BackTo60, the One Voice movement.

Guy Opperman: The Secretary of State, Ministers in her Department, nor any officials in the Department for Work and Pensions, have met with such representatives.

Universal Credit

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many alternative payment arrangements have been agreed with universal credit claimants in each year since the introduction of universal credit.

Will Quince: Statistics on the number of Households on Universal Credit that make use of a Managed Payment to Landlord, More Frequent Payment and Split Payments under Alternative Payment Arrangements is published and can be found at:https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/Guidance on how to extract the information required can be found at:https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/Getting-Started.html

Universal Credit

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many alternative payment arrangement requests for universal credit were rejected in the most recent 12 month period for which data is available.

Will Quince: The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.

Universal Credit

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what plans she has to change universal credit assessment periods.

Will Quince: There are no plans to change Universal Credit assessment periods. Monthly assessment periods align payments with the way in which a majority of employees are paid, and how utility companies and service providers usually collect payments. They ensure that the amount of Universal Credit paid to claimants reflects the actual circumstances of a household as closely as possible. Assessing income monthly ensures that if a claimant’s earnings decrease, their Universal Credit award increases to reflect their change in income. This prevents claimants having to wait months for the corresponding change in their award.

Personal Independence Payment

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, on how many occasions health professionalsrequested specific training, resources or the support of an experienced clinician when assessing a personal independence paymentclaim for someone suffering with post-polio syndrome.

Justin Tomlinson: The information requested is not held.

Universal Credit

David Hanson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether any research has been conducted on the number of home visits being proactively offered to vulnerable claimants of universal credit.

Will Quince: The Department are continuously reviewing and improving the services for vulnerable people who need to claim Universal Credit to ensure that it is supportive and responsive to their needs. Where claimants are unable to make or manage their claim on-line, telephone and face to face support is available. Where appropriate, home visits can be arranged for claimants when it is the most appropriate method of providing relevant support.

Bereavement Support Payment

Hugh Gaffney: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that cohabiting couples with children can apply for bereavement support payments.

Will Quince: Primary legislation provides that Bereavement Support Payment can only be paid to, and for the benefit of, a surviving spouse or civil partner. The Department is ensuring that Bereavement Support Payment is being paid in accordance with that law, as it is required to do.

Department for Work and Pensions: Catering and Cleaning Services

Matthew Pennycook: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with what companies does his Department hold contracts for (a) catering and (b) cleaning within its London-based estate.

Mims Davies: Catering and cleaning on the whole DWP estate (including London) are delivered as part of a Total Facilities Management contract with Interserve Facilities Management. Catering is delivered by Compass as a sub-contractor to Interserve.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Carbon Emissions

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to Office for National Statistics publication of 21 October 2019, The decoupling of economic growth from carbon emissions: UK evidence, what steps the Government plans to take to tackle the UK's status as the largest per capita net importer of carbon dioxide emissions in the G7.

Zac Goldsmith: On 27 June, the UK Government set a legally binding target to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions from across the UK economy by 2050. This made the UK the first major economy to set a net zero target in law, ending the UK’s contribution to global warming in three decades. The Government seeks to support more sustainable patterns of consumption and production by moving towards a more circular economy. This will help reduce carbon emissions related to consumption of imported goods as well as those produced domestically. Our Resources & Waste Strategy (RWS), published in December 2018, sets out how we will do this. We will also publish an indicator framework for the RWS later this year, which will include an indicator on consumption-based greenhouse gas emissions for England. On 15 October, the Government introduced the landmark Environment Bill to Parliament to tackle the biggest environmental priorities of our time. The Bill builds on this Government’s commitments to protect the environment set out in our 25 Year Environment Plan. Legislation to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 and hosting the climate-focused COP26 in 2020 will keep the UK at the forefront of international work on these issues. To ensure environmental protection the Environment Bill will establish a new Office for Environment Protection, which will have a statutory duty to monitor progress in improving the natural environment, including on climate change.

Solid Fuels

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when the heat output tests on various solid fuels were commenced as part of the consultation on the cleaner domestic burning of solid fuels and wood; and if she will make a statement.

Rebecca Pow: The heat output tests of solid fuels began in March this year.

Solid Fuels

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when she plans to publish the results of the consultation on the cleaner domestic burning of solid fuels and wood, which closed on 12 October 2018; and if she will make a statement.

Rebecca Pow: We intend to publish our response to the consultation on the cleaner burning of solid fuels and wood later this year.

Pets: Theft

Alberto Costa: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of making pet theft a specific crime.

Zac Goldsmith: Theft of a pet is already a criminal offence punishable by a penalty of up to 7 years imprisonment. In February 2016, the independent Sentencing Council updated its guidelines in relation to sentencing for theft offences. The guidelines take account of the emotional distress, and therefore harm, that the theft of a much beloved pet can have on the victim, and accordingly recommend higher penalties for such offences.

Home Office

Home Office: Fees and Charges

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will publish an equality impact assessment on her Department's policy on charges and fees.

Seema Kennedy: The Home Office sets visa, immigration and citizenship fees at a level that helps provide the resources necessary to operate the Border, Immigration and Citizenship (BIC) system, it is not direct it is collective.As we set out in response to a recent report by the Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration, the Department recognises that it is important to take account of any impact on equality and diversity, particularly any social and welfare impacts on children, families and vulnerable persons, when considering changes to fees levels. We will consider publication of fee-related Policy Equality Statements on a case by case basis going forward.

Foreign Agents Registration Act

Mr Bob Seely: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if the Government will make an assessment of the potential merits of bringing forward legislative proposals on foreign agents' registration.

Brandon Lewis: This is a thorough process to assess whether additional powers are required to clamp down on the activities of hostile states which threaten the UK, both here and overseas.As part of this, we are considering like-minded international partners’ legislation to see whether the UK would benefit from adopting something similar.This work is ongoing.

Detention Centres

Mr David Lammy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many sites have been identified in addition to operational immigration detention centres for the administrative detention of (a) foreign nationals under immigration powers and (b) British nationals under emergency powers as part of her Department's contingency plans for the UK leaving the EU without a deal; and what the (a) addresses are and (b) estimated capacity is of each site.

Seema Kennedy: The Department has no such plans.

Police: Safety

Stephen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, on what date the National Police Chiefs’ Council will complete its urgent review of police officer safety.

Stephen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions she has had with the National Police Chiefs’ Council on the (a) scope and (b) timeframe for the urgent review of police officer safety.

Kit Malthouse: The Government is very keen to support the police and ensure that they have the resources and tools they need to protect themselves and the public.We welcome the National Police Chiefs’ Council led Officer Safety Review and intend to use its findings and recommendations to inform the development of further proposals under the Police Covenant. The Review was commissioned by the NPCC and therefore it has been for them to determine its scope and timing. Police protection and wellbeing was discussed within the last meeting of the National Policing Board on Tuesday 8 October.

Police: Safety

Mr Steve Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to give police officers the powers and protection they need against violent offenders.

Kit Malthouse: We are committed to ensuring that the police have the support and protection they need. The Government has outlined its commitment via the Queens Speech to bring forward a Police Protection Bill to give police the support and protection they need to do their jobs effectively and safely. This includes plans to establish a Police Covenant.We are making it easier for the police to use stop and search to tackle serious violence and knife crime. The police are clear that stop and search is one of the most important powers they have to take deadly weapons off our streets and recent figures show that an increase in police use of stop and search has led to 22% more arrests – almost 9,500 of these for offensive weapons and firearms.The Government has also recently announced £10 million in funding to support chief officers to buy Tasers they require and ensure frontline officers are better protected. £10 million in ring fenced funding could mean over 10,000 more police officers in England and Wales will be able to carry the devices to help protect themselves and the public from harm.

Crime Prevention: Young People

Mr Steve Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to divert young people away from violent crime.

Kit Malthouse: Tackling violent crime is a priority and this Government is determined to crack down on the scourge of violence devastating our communities. The Government is investing £220 million in early intervention projects to steer young people away from getting involved in serious violence and make positive life choices.The Early Intervention Youth Fund of £22 million is supporting 40 projects endorsed by Police and Crime Commissioners across England and Wales. These projects include work with children and young people at risk of criminal involvement, organisations safeguarding those at risk of gang exploitation and county lines, or who have already offended to help divert them into positive life choices.The £200 million Youth Endowment Fund (YEF) is a long-term fund to prevent children and young people at the highest risk of involvement in serious violence, from becoming involved in crime and violence, including reoffending. Operating independently of government, the Youth Endowment Fund will robustly test and evaluate every intervention it funds to develop a strong evidence base showing the interventions that are most effective in making a positive difference to the lives of young people. The first successful 22 bids were announced earlier this month.The anti-knife crime Community Fund has supported 115 projects in local communities to tackle knife crime in 2017/18 and 2018/19. The third year of funding (2019-20) of £1.5m is supporting 61 projects in England and Wales this year.The Government recognises that local youth services are an important partner in tackling violent crime. On 30 September the Government reiterated a commitment to young people, confirming £500 million investment through the new Youth Investment Fund over five years. This vital investment, the cornerstone of the Government’s offer for young people, will help build 60 new youth centres across the country, refurbish around 360 existing youth facilities, and provide over 100 mobile facilities for harder to reach areas. The fund will also support the provision and coordination of high-quality services for young people, and an investment in the youth workforce.

Immigration: EU Nationals

Caroline Nokes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many full-time equivalent staff are employed to work on the EU Settlement Scheme.

Brandon Lewis: There are currently 1,510 full time equivalent staff employed to work on the EU Settlement Scheme.

Greece: Prisoners' Release

Nic Dakin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she (a) has taken or (b) plans to take steps to prevent the entry of convicted criminals and terrorists who have been released early from prison in Greece under that country's Paraskevopoulos Law.

Brandon Lewis: The Secretary of State has the power to exclude a non-EEA national on the grounds that it is conducive to the public good. An EEA citizen or their non-EEA family member can be excluded or refused admission on the grounds of public policy or public security. Exclusion is normally used in circumstances involving national security, criminality, international crimes (war crimes, crimes against humanity or genocide), corruption and unacceptable behaviour, such as glorification of terrorist violence.The Immigration Rules also provide for the refusal of entry on the grounds of previous criminal convictions or the individual’s character, conduct or associations, on general grounds, regardless of the category in which the application is made.

Rape: Disclosure of Information

Sarah Champion: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many and what proportion of rape flagged cases were subject to digital disclosure of mobile phone data in each month since May 2019.

Sarah Champion: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many sexual offence cases, excluding rape, were subject to digital disclosure of mobile phone data in each month since May 2019.

Sarah Champion: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many non-sexual offence cases were subject to digital disclosure of mobile phone data in each month since May 2019.

Kit Malthouse: The Home Office does not collect data on the number of offences recorded by the police in England and Wales that were subject to digital disclosure of mobile phone data.The guidance issued by the Director of Public Prosecutions to police and prosecutors is explicitly clear, that seeking to examine the mobile telephones of complainants and witnesses is not a matter of course, and there will be cases where there is no requirement for police to take a complainant’s media devices at all. It is crucial that only the reasonable lines of inquiry are pursued, to avoid unnecessary intrusion into a complainant’s personal life.It is vital that victims of sexual offences feel empowered to come forward and receive the support they need to recover from the trauma of these crimes. They must not be deterred by a perception about how their personal information is handled. They can and should expect nothing less than that it will be dealt with in a way that is consistent with both their right to privacy and with the interests of justice.The Information Commissioner’s Office is currently conducting an investigation into this issue. The police and CPS will continue to work with victim groups and the Information Commissioner’s Office to ensure their approach offers the necessary balance between the requirement for reasonable lines of inquiry and the victim’s right to privacy.

Extradition: USA

Chris Williamson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has made an assessment of the implications for her policy of Clause 1 of Article 4 of the Extradition Treaty between the UK Government and the US Administration which states that Extradition shall not be granted if the offense for which extradition is requested is a political offense.

Brandon Lewis: The consideration of whether an offence for which extradition is requested is a political offence is implicit in UK law under section 81 of the 2003 Extradition Act, which states:“A person’s extradition to a category 2 territory is barred by reason of extraneous considerations if (and only if) it appears that— (a)the request for his extradition (though purporting to be made on account of the extradition offence) is in fact made for the purpose of prosecuting or punishing him on account of his race, religion, nationality, gender, sexual orientation or political opinions, or (b)if extradited he might be prejudiced at his trial or punished, detained or restricted in his personal liberty by reason of his race, religion, nationality, gender, sexual orientation or political opinions.”The determination of whether extraneous considerations apply is made by the appropriate judge, entirely independently of the Government.

Knives: Greater London

Sir David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to tackle knife crime in outer London.

Sir David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of trends in the level of knife crime in (a) London and (b) England.

Kit Malthouse: Police recorded crime statistics published on 17 October by the Office for National Statistics show that across England and Wales, there has been a 7 per cent increase in offences involving a knife or sharp instrument in the year to June 2019, and a 44 per cent increase since 2010/11. These increases are thought to be partly a genuine increase and partly due to improvements in the police recording of these offences. The latest force data are contained in the Open Data Tables to be found at the following link:https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/839965/prc-knife-open-data-march2009-onwards-tables.odsThe following table shows the number of knife and sharp instrument offences recorded by the police for the financial year 2010/11 and the years ending June 2018 and June 2019, for London and England (excluding Greater Manchester):Knife and Sharp instrument offences   % change year to June 2019 compared with:2010/11Year to June 2018Year to June 20192010/11Year to June 2018London13,35614,98915,023120  England (excl GMP)29,87939,89142,677437We are taking determined action to tackle knife crime and other serious violence across London and the rest of the country. This includes giving the police the resources and tools they need to keep families, communities and our country safe. We have recently launched a national campaign to begin to recruit 20,000 new police officers over the next three years, and we are making it easier for the police to use stop and search powers. We are also giving police forces an additional £10 million to allow them to increase the number of officers who carry tasers to help protect themselves and the public from harm.Police funding is increasing by more than £1 billion this year, including council tax and additional funding through the £100 million Serious Violence Fund. This Fund includes £63.4 million for surge operational activity, £35 million to support Violence Reduction Units, and £1.6 million to help improve the quality of data on serious violence. The Metropolitan Police has been allocated £20.84 million from the Serious Violence Fund for surge police activity and £7 million for the Violence Reduction Unit. In addition, through the Offensive Weapons Act 2019, we are providing the police with more powers, and making it more difficult for young people to get hold of knives in the first place. The Act includes Knife Crime Prevention Orders which will give the police an important new tool to help them to work with people to steer them away from serious violence and knife crime.We continue to encourage all police forces to undertake a series of coordinated national weeks of action to tackle knife crime under Operation Sceptre. The operation includes targeted stop and searches, weapon sweeps, surrender of knives, including through amnesty bins, test purchases of knives from retailers, and educational events. The latest phase of the operation took place from 17 to 22 September.We are also addressing the root causes of crime by investing over £220 million in early intervention projects and in the Queens Speech on 14 October, it was announced that we would be bringing forward a new Serious Violence Bill to introduce a new legal duty on public bodies to prevent and tackle serious violence.

UK Visas and Immigration: Staff

Sir Paul Beresford: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people the National Allegations Team of UK Visas and Immigration has employed in each year since 2009.

Seema Kennedy: Allegations of immigration abuse submitted by the public to the Home Office are received and managed by Immigration Enforcement.Data on the number of staff employed to perform this task is available form 2016 when bespoke receipt and evaluation teams were introduced.In the years since 2016 they have employed the following personnel to perform that task.2016 – 57, 2017 – 63, 2018 – 59 and 2019 – 61.

Immigration: Fraud

Sir Paul Beresford: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many complaints her Department has received on immigration fraud in each year since 2009.

Seema Kennedy: Information on the number of reports of immigration abuse received by the Home Office is published in our transparency data at: www.gov.uk/government/collection/migration-transparency-data.

Immigration: Fraud

Sir Paul Beresford: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many complaints on immigration fraud UK Visas and Immigration has investigated since 2009.

Seema Kennedy: All allegations of immigration abuse submitted by the public to the Home Office are carefully considered and are subjected to investigation. Cost restrictions prevent a detailed breakdown of specifically what action has been taken.

Immigration: Families

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, for what reasons non-dependent family members of people with Tier 1 (exceptional talent) visas can only apply for indefinite leave to remain after five years, given that the main applicant can apply on an accelerated route after three years.

Seema Kennedy: A number of economic routes offer accelerated settlement for main applicants, including Tier 1 (Exceptional Talent), Tier 1 Investor and the Innovator route. However in all cases the qualifying period for non-EEA family members remains five years, regardless of the time it takes for the main applicant to settle.The current policy is intended to ensure that our provisions are in line with the qualifying period for non-EEA family members of a British Citizen.

Immigration: EU Nationals

Dr Sarah Wollaston: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what support is available for EU citizens with (a) dementia and (b) other similar health conditions when applying for settled status given the possibility that they may have lost the necessary paperwork.

Brandon Lewis: An error has been identified in the written answer given on 31 October 2019.The correct answer should have been:

The EU Settlement Scheme is designed to make it simple and straightforward for EU citizens and their family members to apply to stay in the UK after we leave the EU. We are looking for reasons to grant status, not reasons to refuse, and the scheme is performing well.The Home Office has put in place a comprehensive vulnerability strategy to ensure that the EU Settlement Scheme is accessible for all, including those requiring someone to make an application on their behalf. We are also engaging with relevant stakeholders, such as the Department for Health and Social Care, the Local Government Association, the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services and the Devolved Administrations, to assess the needs of vulnerable groups and ensure they are met.The Home Office has introduced a range of support for applicants, including assisted digital support at around 300 locations across the UK and the EU Settlement Scheme Resolution Centre, open seven days a week, to provide help and information by telephone and e-mail. We have also provided up to £9 million of grant funding to 57 voluntary and community organisations across the UK to enable them to mobilise services targeted at vulnerable EU citizens.Regarding specific support for (a) those with dementia and (b) other similar health conditions, such as those without mental capacity, the Home Office has designed a scheme that allows applicants to consent to an appropriate third party to apply on their behalf. This means that care givers, family members and friends can provide the necessary assistance to those who need it.The Home Office is aware that a range of vulnerable applicants may face significant challenges in securing evidence to support their application. For this reason, we will in such circumstances accept a range of evidence of identity and residence on behalf of an applicant, working with the person making the application to establish the applicant’s eligibility based on all the evidence available. Caseworkers are trained to exercise discretion in the applicant’s favour where appropriate.The EU Settlement Scheme is designed to make it simple and straightforward for EU citizens and their family members to apply to stay in the UK after we leave the EU. We are looking for reasons to grant status, not reasons to refuse, and the scheme is performing well.The Home Office has put in place a comprehensive vulnerability strategy to ensure that the EU Settlement Scheme is accessible for all, including those requiring someone to make an application on their behalf. We are also engaging with relevant stakeholders, such as the Department for Health and Social Care, the Local Government Association, the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services and the Devolved Administrations, to assess the needs of vulnerable groups and ensure they are met.The Home Office has introduced a range of support for applicants, including assisted digital support at around 300 locations across the UK and the EU Settlement Scheme Resolution Centre, open seven days a week, to provide help and information by telephone and e-mail. We have also provided up to £9 million of grant funding to 57 voluntary and community organisations across the UK to enable them to mobilise services targeted at vulnerable EU citizens.Regarding specific support for (a) those with dementia and (b) other similar health conditions, such as those without mental capacity, the Home Office has designed a scheme that allows applicants to consent to an appropriate third party to apply on their behalf. This means that care givers, family members and friends can provide the necessary assistance to those who need it.The Home Office is aware that a range of vulnerable applicants may face challenges in securing evidence to support their application. For this reason, we will in such circumstances accept a range of evidence of identity and residence on behalf of an applicant, working with the person making the application to establish the applicant’s eligibility based on all the evidence available. Caseworkers are trained to exercise discretion in the applicant’s favour where appropriate.

Brandon Lewis: The EU Settlement Scheme is designed to make it simple and straightforward for EU citizens and their family members to apply to stay in the UK after we leave the EU. We are looking for reasons to grant status, not reasons to refuse, and the scheme is performing well.The Home Office has put in place a comprehensive vulnerability strategy to ensure that the EU Settlement Scheme is accessible for all, including those requiring someone to make an application on their behalf. We are also engaging with relevant stakeholders, such as the Department for Health and Social Care, the Local Government Association, the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services and the Devolved Administrations, to assess the needs of vulnerable groups and ensure they are met.The Home Office has introduced a range of support for applicants, including assisted digital support at around 300 locations across the UK and the EU Settlement Scheme Resolution Centre, open seven days a week, to provide help and information by telephone and e-mail. We have also provided up to £9 million of grant funding to 57 voluntary and community organisations across the UK to enable them to mobilise services targeted at vulnerable EU citizens.Regarding specific support for (a) those with dementia and (b) other similar health conditions, such as those without mental capacity, the Home Office has designed a scheme that allows applicants to consent to an appropriate third party to apply on their behalf. This means that care givers, family members and friends can provide the necessary assistance to those who need it.The Home Office is aware that a range of vulnerable applicants may face significant challenges in securing evidence to support their application. For this reason, we will in such circumstances accept a range of evidence of identity and residence on behalf of an applicant, working with the person making the application to establish the applicant’s eligibility based on all the evidence available. Caseworkers are trained to exercise discretion in the applicant’s favour where appropriate.The EU Settlement Scheme is designed to make it simple and straightforward for EU citizens and their family members to apply to stay in the UK after we leave the EU. We are looking for reasons to grant status, not reasons to refuse, and the scheme is performing well.The Home Office has put in place a comprehensive vulnerability strategy to ensure that the EU Settlement Scheme is accessible for all, including those requiring someone to make an application on their behalf. We are also engaging with relevant stakeholders, such as the Department for Health and Social Care, the Local Government Association, the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services and the Devolved Administrations, to assess the needs of vulnerable groups and ensure they are met.The Home Office has introduced a range of support for applicants, including assisted digital support at around 300 locations across the UK and the EU Settlement Scheme Resolution Centre, open seven days a week, to provide help and information by telephone and e-mail. We have also provided up to £9 million of grant funding to 57 voluntary and community organisations across the UK to enable them to mobilise services targeted at vulnerable EU citizens.Regarding specific support for (a) those with dementia and (b) other similar health conditions, such as those without mental capacity, the Home Office has designed a scheme that allows applicants to consent to an appropriate third party to apply on their behalf. This means that care givers, family members and friends can provide the necessary assistance to those who need it.The Home Office is aware that a range of vulnerable applicants may face challenges in securing evidence to support their application. For this reason, we will in such circumstances accept a range of evidence of identity and residence on behalf of an applicant, working with the person making the application to establish the applicant’s eligibility based on all the evidence available. Caseworkers are trained to exercise discretion in the applicant’s favour where appropriate.

Cabinet Office

Offshore Funds

Tulip Siddiq: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether specialist advisers to the Government are subject to rules on the use of offshore bank accounts.

Chloe Smith: I refer the Hon. Member to the answer given to PQ2887 on 24 October.

Immigration: Colombia

Neil Coyle: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what estimate he has made of the number of Colombian nationals currently living in (a) the UK, (b) London and (c) Southwark.

Chloe Smith: The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority. I have therefore asked the Authority to respond.



UKSA Response
(PDF Document, 62.33 KB)

Brexit: Publicity

Deidre Brock: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 28 October 2019 to Question 3606 on Brexit publicity, how much has been spent on the Get ready for Brexit campaign as of 29 October 2019.

Chloe Smith: The cost of the public information campaign will be published monthly on a rolling basis, as part of routine government transparency arrangements.

Brexit: Publicity

Deidre Brock: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 28 October 2019 to Question 3606 on Brexit: publicity, what steps he is taking to assess the effectiveness of Get ready for Brexit advertising campaign.

Chloe Smith: The effectiveness of the campaign has been assessed regularly on an ongoing basis since the campaign launched at the start of September. Its impact has been evaluated by using the Government Communication Service (GCS) Evaluation Framework, which is based on the latest industry thinking and is seen as an example of best practice in evaluating the impact of communications.

Treasury

Children: Day Care

Tulip Siddiq: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the number of (a) parents and (b) childcare providers affected by the recent tax-free childcare system upgrade; and how many payments have been missed as a result of that upgrade.

Rishi Sunak: Less than 1.7% of the total number of registered parents were affected by this issue.Of the total 6,537 payments affected, 879 of these were payments made from parents’ TFC accounts to Childcare Providers.NS&I data for payments to each, specific parents or the number of Childcare Providers affected is not readily available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Economic Growth: Forecasts

Catherine West: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, when updated growth forecasts will next be published.

Rishi Sunak: The government’s medium-term economic and fiscal forecasting is undertaken by the independent Office for Budget Responsibility in line with its statutory duty. The most recent growth forecast was published in March 2019 in the OBR’s Economic and Fiscal Outlook. They will produce a new economic and fiscal forecast at the next fiscal event.

Equal Pay

Mary Glindon: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether (a) his Department and (b) HMRC has set a target date for the elimination of the gender pay gap.

Mr Simon Clarke: HM Treasury and HMRC are committed to reducing the gender pay gap as quickly as reasonably possible but have not set a target date. For further details on how this is being achieved please read HM Treasury’s latest gender pay gap report and HMRC’s gender pay gap report.

Soft Drinks: Taxation

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much revenue has been raised from the soft drinks industry levy since the inception of that levy; and what estimate he has made of the revenue from that levy in the next three years.

Mr Simon Clarke: Since its inception, the amount of revenue raised from the Soft Drinks Industry Levy up to and including September 2019 is £403m. This figure includes £240m of revenue raised during the 2018/19 financial year and £163m raised during 2019/20. This figure was published in the ‘HMRC Tax & NIC Receipts (September 2019)’ publication at:https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/hmrc-tax-and-nics-receipts-for-the-ukThe current forecast for SDIL revenue over the next three years was published in the Office for Budget Responsibility’s (OBR) March 2019 Economic and Fiscal Outlook. The publication tables can be found on the OBR’s website at: https://obr.uk/download/march-2019-economic-and-fiscal-outlook-supplementary-fiscal-tables-receipts-and-other/